Events

Serious and contentious questions surround the issue of how the international community should relate to Somalia. Should major support be given to the Transitional Federal Government? Should the African Union peacekeeping force be expanded?

USIP's Center of Innovation for Science, Technology and Peacebuilding hosted a full-day multimedia showcase of state-of-the-art simulation and "serious gaming" tools that promise to transform the way that peacebuilding organizations train, plan and collaborate. The "Smart Tools for Smart Power" event featured presentations from such innovators as IBM, the Army War College, EBay, Lockheed Martin, Second Life, and USIP's own Education and Training Center.  U.S. Deputy Chief Technology Officer Beth Noveck presented the keynote address.

At the request of the UN Secretary General, Professor Paul Collier, author of the best selling book The Bottom Billion, traveled to Haiti to assist the government to develop a strategy for generating economic security. Professor Collier's findings, which relies on U.S. trade incentives to generate economic growth, could provide a blueprint for donor assistance to Haiti.